1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to accounting systems and methods, and more particularly, to accounting methods and machines for effecting accounting control for print jobs.
2. Description of Related Art
There are at least three recognizable independent dimensions or variables that have significant impact on accounting. Referring to FIG. 1, the three dimensions are location where authentication of user information takes place (X-axis); limitations of funds availability (Y-axis), and limitations on the number of images a user, e.g., a print job requester or an employer of a print job requester, can mark (Z-axis). As defined herein, marking refers to printing, copying, scanning, faxing or other similar action resulting in output of an image either as a hard copy or as an electronic record image.
Traditionally, accounting methods tend to address a subset of the dimensions. At a minimum, the three independent variables come into play, namely, where the authentication of the customer information takes place, e.g., at the X-axis and whether off-box at X1 or on-box at X2; whether the customer activity is limited by funds availability, e.g., at the Y-axis and has no pre-established limit, as at Y1 or has a pre-established limit, as at Y2; and whether the customer activity is limited by number of images the customer can mark, e.g., at the Z-axis and has no pre-established limit, as at Z1 or has a pre-established limit, as at Z2.
The conditions of off-box authentication at X1, a pre-established limit of funds at Y2, and no pre-established limit of number of images at Z1 exemplify a foreign device interface 10, e.g., a vending box. The conditions of off-box authentication at X1, together with no pre-established limit of funds at Y1 and no pre-established limit of number of images at Z1 exemplify a job-based accounting (JBA) system 12. In contrast, the conditions of on-box authentication at X2, together with no pre-established limit of funds at Y1 and a pre-established limit of number of images at Z2 exemplify an on-box authentication based accounting system 14.